Gino Vannelli – April 26-27, Theatre Maisonneuve

Gino Vannelli

Since his debut release of Crazy Life in 1973, Gino Vannelli has remained one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music. His voice is as memorable as his hair, as he has been dubbed, “The Canadian singer-songwriter with the lion’s mane”. But Vannelli’s evolving music has kept his fan base growing for more than 40 years. From rock to jazz to soul, even classical, this singer-songwriter-producer has left no musical stone unturned.

With an impressive 19 albums under his belt (20 million worldwide sales), Gino will be releasing his 20th album, Wilderness Road, in 2019. The new record which has been five years in the making, contains thirteen songs, most of which are narratives – stories about recent events and some going back to his childhood days. The style of music is a fusion of Americana, Soul, with a hint of Classical and Jazz. Most songs have been performed entirely by Gino, something he’s been wanting to do for a long time. Some tunes feature many of his touring musicians. Gino reveals, “The title track, Wilderness Road, is an autobiographical song that looks back on the specific path taken during youth, that has had a profound impact on later years in my life. This new collection of songs has been a true labor of love, the kind of words and music I’ve been waiting to sing for a long time… stories I’ve been aching to tell. We’ll be featuring some of these new songs, for the first time ever, in Montreal.” Whether performing in symphonic, big-band, pop-ensemble or piano-vocal format, Vannelli remains impassioned and true to his art. His enduring stature as a powerful and innovative live performer, his well-hewn skills as composer, poet, producer, arranger and bandleader, are a living embodiment of how some things get better with age. In the intimate environment of Théâtre Maisonneuve, Gino and his seven bandmates will be treating fans to his all-time favourites, a selection of his new compositions, and more.